


'cause everybody wants something from me now (and i don't wanna let them down)

by timelxrd



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Bisexual Yasmin Khan, Coming Out, F/F, Fluff, One Shot, a hint of thasmin, baby gay yaz, soft, umbreen is the real star of the show
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:02:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21713440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timelxrd/pseuds/timelxrd
Summary: She’s toying at her sleeve, tugging any loose strands taught between her fingertips in a nervous habit the Doctor has long-since noticed. “Can I talk to you about something?”
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor/Yasmin Khan
Comments: 20
Kudos: 144





	'cause everybody wants something from me now (and i don't wanna let them down)

There’s something in the way Yaz falters at the doors of her ship which makes the Doctor pause, straightening up beside the console and waiting patiently for her counterpart to seemingly figure out her disposition. 

“Doctor?” she hears Yaz inquire precisely thirteen seconds later, letting the door fall closed after Ryan and Graham’s retreating forms and stepping up to the console once more. She’s toying at her sleeve, tugging any loose strands taught between her fingertips in a nervous habit the Doctor has long-since noticed. “Can I talk to you about something?”

The time lord nods, earnest, kind, her smile warm. “Always, Yaz.”

Yaz stops a handful of steps away, gaze falling to a set of buttons to her left as she works to gather her thoughts. When it takes longer than she’d hoped and leaves the Doctor watching on curiously, she lets out an awkward, slightly embarrassed laugh. “Sorry. Trying to figure out the right words. It’s —” she pauses, taking a breath. “It’s difficult.”

“No problem, take your time,” the Doctor hums in reassurance, lifting the toes of her boot to press them down against a lever at the floor. “Custard cream? They always help switch my brain back into gear.”

“Thanks,” Yaz murmurs politely upon acceptance of the sugary treat. True to her word, her mind clears somewhat when she takes a bite. It also helps to settle her stomach slightly, which twists uncomfortably with newly revealed knowledge. “You said you were a white-haired Scotsman, once, when we first met.”

“Aye,” the Doctor confirms in an awful interpretation of a Scottish accent which leaves Yaz giggling. 

“Does that mean — I guess, now you’re a woman — does that mean you’re still the same, underneath?” Yaz probes, brow furrowing when she can’t quite word what she’s trying to ask. “I mean, your _tastes_ , your… preferences, and stuff?”

“Are we talking snack foods, or?” the Doctor starts, head tilting like a puppy confused over a new command. “Because I still think pears are evil.” She gives a little shiver at the thought, nose scrunching, and Yaz’s heart swells. 

“No, not quite, Doctor. I mean —” she lifts a hand, curling her fingers through her hair while her feet start to pace of their own accord. “ _Argh_ — what I’m trying to say is,” she continues, expression souring when words escape her. “I think — I _think_ I might be —” 

The Doctor reaches out tentatively, kindly, to catch Yaz’s wrist and pause her in her anxious movements. “Hey, hey, relax. You’ve got all the time in the world. _Literally._ And I’m not going anywhere.”

“Doctor, I think —” Yaz announces, wavering on the last syllable. The Doctor can feel the way her pulse races in her wrist and she tries not to let her concern show on her features. “I think — IthinkImightbealittlebitgay.”

The Doctor blinks, repeating the scene on playback behind her pupils but unable to decipher enough to be sure. “Sorry, Yaz. Didn’t quite catch that.”

“I think — Doctor, I think I’m bisexual,” Yaz states, tensing against the light hold on her wrist as if preparing for some sort of attack.

When the Doctor simply smiles, wide and bright and a little enamoured, her muscles relax and a wave of relief leaves her smiling right back. 

“That’s brilliant, Yaz,” the Doctor praises gently, lifting her hand from her wrist to her forearm, then her shoulder to gently draw her in for a hug. Because despite her lack of care or concern for labels or restriction over sexuality in any way, she knows it can be quite a big deal for humans. “Absolutely brilliant. I’m flattered you’re comfortable enough to tell me.” She rubs a hand up and down the length of her back and Yaz sighs against her shoulder, where she clutches lightly at the Doctor’s coat. “But you know I don’t care about these things, right? It’s really, _really_ not something I tend to pay attention to. So I would never judge.” 

“I know, I know,” the Doctor feels her nod against her shoulder, and she’s ready with a grin when Yaz pulls back to meet her gaze. “I just had to tell _someone_ , you know? It’s been on my mind a lot recently and my mum always tells me not to bottle things up, but this is different.”

“You think your family won’t take it well?” the Doctor gauges, features softening when Yaz nods in return. 

“Do you think you could come with me? If I tell them?” Yaz questions nervously, a fresh sense of anxiety awakening in her stomach and making her queasy. “Just in case?”

The Doctor doesn’t want to imagine what _just in case_ might end in, choosing instead to loop an arm around Yaz’s shoulders and walk alongside her to the doors. “Of course. I could never deny you that.” 

The Khan’s flat smells like fabric conditioner and the last remnants of dinner when Yaz leads the Doctor past the door, closing it gently behind them. Her Nani’s there this time, much to the Doctor’s pleasant surprise, and she finds herself smiling warmly before she can think to stop herself. “Hi, Khan fam. Team Khan? _Hm_ , think I’ll work on that.”

“Hey, Nani,” Yaz greets gently in continuation, earning a doting smile from her grandmother and a faint scoff from her sister. “Mum? Dad? Can you sit down for a second?” she implores to the two figures cleaning and drying cutlery at the sink. Sensing her tone, they round back to the table and perch down, features creased in question. 

“Everything okay, Yaz?” her mother asks first, concern lacing her tone. “You’re looking a little peaky.” 

Yaz takes in a lungful of air through her nose and exhales slowly through her mouth, grateful for the hand which weaves around her own and tucks behind her, out of sight. The Doctor squeezes gently. “I’m fine,” she starts, stealing herself. “In fact, I feel more like myself now than I think I’ve ever felt before. Which is — which is why I’ve got to tell you something — to get it off my chest.” 

The Doctor’s grip is warm and secure on her hand, anchoring her. 

Najia offers up a patient, but expectant look while Hakim simply smiles attentively. Sonya barely glances up from her phone. Her Nani shares with her a knowing smile, always one step ahead of the game.

“I’m bisexual, and no, before you ask, it isn’t a phase, and I’m not just curious,” Yaz admits defiantly, the strength to her words an act. _Fake it till you make it,_ she supposes, opening her palms and lifting her arms slightly as if showing off a new outfit. In some ways, it’s almost as though she is. “And I’m still me, I need you to remember that.”

_I’m proud of you,_ the Doctor communicates through a series of taps against the back of her hand, and Yaz is suddenly extremely grateful she’d learnt morse-code during her time in training. She glances to her side briefly, offering the Doctor a grateful smile. 

“I’m proud of you, kid,” her father echoes, reaching back to touch a hand to her forearm and squeeze gently. “That was really brave.”

“Mum?” Yaz probes gently, like poking at an active wasp’s nest. She’s never been able to read her mother’s expressions very clearly. “Is that… okay with you?”

Najia slips from her chair and, momentarily, Yaz tenses up, thinking she’s a second away from an angry outburst. 

When, instead, strong arms curl around her in a warm embrace, Yaz sags with relief. “Of course it’s okay, I just wish you’d felt welcomed enough to tell us sooner, you silly thing.” 

“I’m sorry, I was just — it’s a lot, I didn’t want to —”

“What? Disappoint us? Let us down?” Najia quips as though she can read her mind. “Don’t be stupid, Yaz. You could never.”

Sonya snorts under her breath. 

“Your sister, on the other hand…”

“Oi!” Sonya huffs, setting her phone down to regard her mother with a frown. It softens, though, when Najia arches a brow. “Fine. I’m proud of you or whatever.”

“Oh, ta,” Yaz quips back in a fashion only siblings can get away with. 

“Not like you and the Doctor aren’t basically already dating, anyway.”

“Sonya!” her parents chide in unison, her mother’s tone not so sure. 

Yaz’s cheeks flush, and, while her parents return to their washing up and her sister slips back into the depths of social media, she makes her way over to her Nani. 

“You’ve been quiet,” Yaz notes, perching down on the arm of her chair. Other than an encouraging smile and a slow nod, her grandmother had barely said a word since she’d walked in. 

“I was thinking,” Umbreen replies, reaching out for Yaz’s hand. “Remembering.” 

“Remembering what, Nani?” Yaz answers innocently, but her facade is swept aside the minute her grandmother meets her gaze with a knowing look. 

“You know exactly what,” Umbreen chuckles, her smirk mischievious. “The minute the Doctor walked in with you, I remembered the way you looked at her, all those years ago. The way you still do.” She sits up a little straighter when the Doctor pads over like a curious puppy seeking its owner. “An old friend once told me that love is the most powerful weapon we have.”

The Doctor pauses, catching on with a slow, impressed little grin. Her hands settle on her hips as if daring her Nani to continue. 

“She also said love abides in the face of everything,” Umbreen recites, clasping Yaz’s hand tight in her own. “And the bond you both share is perfectly capable, too. Hold onto it, Yaz. You never know how long it will last.” 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! kudos and comments always appreciated if you have the time!!!


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